Steam-distributing head.



S. S. RIBGEL.

STEAM DISTRIBUTING HEAD. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1914.

1, 1 1 0,647, Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

YHE KORRIS PETERS c0" PMDm-LITNQ, WASH/N670, D. C.

S. S. RIEGEL.

STEAM DISTRIBUTING HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1914.

Patented Spt.15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO" PHUAU-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D. C.

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SAMUEL S. RIEGEL, 0F SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PATTERSON-ALLEN ENGINEERING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STEAM-DISTRIBUTING HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Application filed. May 28, 1914. Serial No; 841,423. 7

My invention has reference to a steam distributing head or casing and consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shownin the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a steam distributing head for use in connection with boilers by means of which steam may be distributed from a common point to several points of use, said dis tribution being controlled by a novel type of valve mechanism for effecting the discharge of steam to any particular point of use.

It has for a further object to provide a valve mechanism, all parts of which includ ing the control devices therefor are removable as a unit from' the aforesaid distributing head whereby the valve device may be readily replaced, repaired, or readjusted with minimum expense and with a great saving of time.

As a further object my invention provides a means for supplying steam to a number of points of use from a common point of supply, the said points being selective at will and according to requirements.

My invention also conuorehends details of construction which, together with the features above specified, will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan of the fire box portion of a locomotive showing the steam distributing head of my invention; Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 represents a plan partly in section of the distributing head on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 represents a section on line 00-00 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 represents an end elevation of one of the valve devices showing a modified structure. v

1 designates a casing or box-like structure which I have, for convenience, termed a steam distributing head, consisting of a suitable shaped casting shown here as substantially triangular in plan, and provided with fiat surfaces or bosses 2 at suitable locations in order to permit the mounting of the different valve structureswhich will be presently described. The head casing 1 is provided with an inlet opening 3 preferably, though not necessarily, located at an apex of the triangle and a flange t by which connection is made to the main control valve member 5 located in the steam supply pipe 6 leading from the steam space of the boiler. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the distributing head or casing is mounted directly upon the fire box portion 7 of a locomotive boiler and adjacent the rear end thereof so that the operating levers or means for manipulating the valves may be readily reached by the engineer or fireman of the locomotive.

\Vhile I have in the present disclosure shown the device as applied to a locomotive boiler, this is only by way of illustration, as broadly it is adaptable for any type of boiler, stationary or otherwise, and the invention is therefore not to be considered as restricted in. this particular.

8 designates bolts or like fastening means by which the headis fixedly mounted upon the fire box sheet, the said fastenings engaging suitable lugs 9 on the bottom of the head or casing. I

10 designates strut or brace members extending transversely of the head or casing and serving to strengthen and reinforce the top and bottom portions thereof.

The head or casing 1 serves as an auxiliary steam chest or manifold member-from which steam may be delivered to any one of a number of points or to all of the points simultaneously accordlng to requlrements.

In the present instance I employ the dis tributing head as a steam receptacle common to a plurality of points of use, thus, for example, the steam from the head may be delivered independently to the steam injector, the air pump, the train pipe line, the feed water heater or to any other desired portion of the engine mechanism, or it may be delivered simultaneously to all. I have,

' erably outwardly diverged and terminate in therefore, for convenience, indicated the several delivery pipes from the head by the reference numeral 11, and each of these pipes is controlled by a valve mechanism which embodies an important feature of1my invention. Since all of these valve members areidentical in construction a description of one will suflice for all and I shall, therefore,

apply the same reference characters to all of the valves and it will be understood that the respective parts are of duplicate construction'.

12 designates a bushing screw-threaded into a suitable opening in the distributing head and having an exterior flange 13 which is adapted to seat in the counterbored portion of the head aperture where it contacts with a gasket 14 to prevent leakage at the joint. This bushing is provided with a through port 15, the sides of which are prefa. threaded portion 16 to receive the pipe 11. The end of the bushing 12 which terminates withinthe head is provided with a valve seat 17 upon which the valve piece 18 is adapted to seat, the said valve piece having its stem 19 freely movable within an opening 20 of a lever arm 21. The le- 21, as here shown, is providedwith openings 22 in each of which is a spring 23 for the purpose of contacting with the rear side of the valve piece 18 to hold the latter outwardly pressed and firmly seated upon the seat 17. The lever arm 21 is adapted to be oscillated to open and close the port 15, and a stop 23 is provided to limit the movement of the lever within a given range.

24 designates a spindlehaving an end to receive the lever arm 21 and by which the latter is operated. As here shown the spindle 24 passesthrough the bushing 12 and the latter is suitably counterbored at each end for the following purposes. At the inner side of the bushing the spindle 24 is provided with a collar 25 adapted to seat against a packing ring 26 in the counterbored portion of the bushing, while the opposite counterbored portion receives a spring 27 which encircles the spindle 24 and bears against the sleeve 28, this latter being pinned to the spindle 24 by the pin 29 which also connects the crank operating member 30 thereto. By this construction the spindle 24 is held firmly seated at its inner end upon the bushing and prevents leakage of steam. The crank 30 is on the outer side of; the bushingand is connected to the control lever 31, which may be carried to any conven-,

2 shown a number of these control levers passing to'the engineers side of the engine cab where they are all suitably grouped and- 'mounted for sliding movement in a plate or bracket 38. A similar construction is shown at 34 where a number of the control levers are carried adjacent the positionordinarily occupied by the fireman. In the drawings the control levers are shown arranged in a simple and orderly manner, but it will be understood that this is only by way of example, since in practice the levers are grouped according to conditions within the cab, such as the arrangement of the piping, gages or other fixtures, and it is therefore not always possible to carry the control levers to the points of use in the exact manner shown by these drawings.

. In the operation of the distributing head and valve mechanism the main control valve 5 is normally open to admit steam from the boiler into the head, and therefore by opening any of the valve members the steam may be delivered directly to the point of use by way of the pipe or pipes 11. The respective cation shown in Fig. 5 I have provided the bushing with suitable holes 36 so that a spanner wrench may be employed to actuate the bushings.

Attention is particularly directed to thefact that each valve and its operating adjuncts are carried by the bushing member 12 and consequently the parts are readily accessible for repair or replacement since any one of thebushings may be quickly and expeditiously removed from the distributing head, thereby removing the valve parts also so that the parts may be interchanged,

ground, adjusted, repaired or replaced. Of

course it will be understood that this re pair work on any or all of the valve members is rendered efiective by closing the main valve 5 and cutting off the supply of steam to the head 1. It will further be apparent by reason of the shape of the head that it maybe readily placed in position upon substantially all types of locomotive or other boilers in present day use, and occupies little space while bringing all of the control levers into convenient range of the engineer, fireman or other occupant. 7

While I have shown my'invention in the form which I have found particularly ad vantageous in commercial practice, I do not restrict myself to the details thereof 'as these may be modified or varied in many ways without departing from the essential features of the improvement. For eX- ample, the particular shape of the distributer head is shown of that form which will give the most available top and lateral surfaces through which to provide properly directed openings for attaching the valve de vice, but it is manifest that this shape may be considerably varied; similarly, I have shown a compact form of valve device adapted to the openings of the distributer head, and while it is especially desirable to my improvements that the body parts of these valve devices which fit the openings shall provide the port and carry the entire valve mechanism so that the same may be removed as a unit from the head, nevertheless I do not restrict myself to the minor details as to the manner shown for ournaling the spindle, nor of connecting the valve piece with the swinging arm, as these details may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. The essential feature of my improvement comprises the em ployment of a distributer head from which the steam may be supplied to the various pipes leading to the different places of the locomotive where steam is necessary for operating mechanisms or means, including pumps, injectors, etc., combined with a plurality of separate self-contained valve devices which are detachably secured in or to openings in the walls of the head, and means extending from said separate valve devices whereby any valve device may be operated by the engineer or fireman from a distance, the separate valve devices being independently removable for'repair or other purpose, and moreover in which each valve device may be a complete operative element capableof being perfectly adjusted in the shop separate and distinct from its assemblage with the distributer head, whereby the apparatus, as a whole, may be kept in constantly operative condition and may be quickly repaired so as not to put the locomotive as a whole out of commission more than a nominal period of time should any such repairs be required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a boiler, with a steam boxshaped distributing head arranged upon the boiler above the fire-box end and provided with a plurality of openings, a conduit opening at one end intosaid head and at the other end into the steam space of a boiler, a valve device to control steam passing through the conduit, a plurality of bushings each removably secured in a difi'erent one of said openings, each of said bushings having a port therethrough, a valve carried by each bushing for controlling the port and and closing of the respective valves and also removable with the bushing, and separate operating means leading to a distance'forindependently actuating the several con trolling means.

2. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a steam boiler, with a steam distributing head provided with a plurality of openings mounted upon the upper part of the boiler, a valve controlled conduitconnecting said head with the steam space of said boiler, a bushing removably secured in each of said openings, said bushings each having a port therethrough, a valve carried by each bushing, means for controlling the opening and closing of the respective valves, and operating means exterior of said bushings and head for independently actuating the several controlling means.

3; In a device of the character stated, the combination of alsteam boiler, with a steam distributing head provided with a plurality .of openings mounted upon the steam boiler,

a valve controlled conduit connectingsaid head with the steam spaceof said boiler, a bushing removably secured in each of said openings, said bushings each having a port therethrough a valve seat on the inner face of each bushing, an arm mounted for swinging movement oneach bushing and having a valve piece adapted to coact with the valve seat to open and close the port, a spindle secured to said arm and journaled in and eX- tending through said bushing, and means eX- terior of said head and bushing and connected to the respective spindles for independently actuating the several valve pieces.

4. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a steam boiler, a steam distributing head provided with a plurality of openings mounted upon the boiler, a conduit connecting said head with the steam space of said boiler, a separate bushing removably secured in each of said openings, said bushings each having a port therethrough and a valve seat on the inner face of each bushing, an arm mounted for swinging movement on each bushing having a valve piece adapted to coact with the valve seat to open and close the port, means for holding said valve pieces pressed against their respective seats, a spindle journaled in each bushing for operating the valve, and separate means exterior of said bushing and head and connected to the respective spindles for independently actuating the sev eral valve pieces from a distance. 7

-5. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a steam boiler, a steam distributing head provided with a plurality of openings mounted upon said boiler, a conduit connecting said head with the steam space of said boiler, a bushing removably inner face of said'bushing, an arm mounted I for swinging movement at the inner end of said bushing, a valve plece carried by said arm and adapted to coact with said valve seat to open and close said port, and means exterior of said bushing and head and extending through the bushing and connected to said arm for operating it. I

6. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a steam boiler, a distributing head provided with a plurality of openings mounted upon said boiler, said head having communication. with the steam space of said boiler, a separate bushing removably secured in each of said openings and having a port therethrough, an arm mounted at the inner end of each bushing for swinging movement relatively to the port, a valve piece carried by said arm and adapted to open and close said port, a spindle extending through said bushing and connected to and supporting "said 7 arm, said" spindle having an annular bearing .against the inner face of .said bushing, means yieldingly holding said spindle to press the bearing into operative position to prevent leakage, and

means exterior of said head and connected to said spindle for operating said arm and valve piece.

. 7. In a'devlce ofthe character stated, the

combination of a steam boiler, a distributor -head having top and peripheral walls and providing communication with the steam space. of the boiler, said head having a. plurality of openings through its peripheral walls, self-contained valve device's tightly fitting the openings in the peripheral walls and each comprising a removable body part having a steam port therethrough and providing a valve seat on the inner surface .about said port, a pivoted spindle journaled in the body part and having a swinging arm 'on itsinner end carrying a valve piece working on the valve seat for controlling the 1 port, and'separate means for operating the valve spindles extending to a distance whereby the engineer may from said distant place operate either valve desired.

8. In a device of-the character stated, the

v combination of a steam boiler, a distributer head having top and side walls and providing communication with the steam space'of the boiler said head having a plurality of openings through its top and side walls, selfcontained valve devices tightly fitting the openings in said walls and each comprising a removable body part having a steam port therethrough and providing a valve seat on the inner surface about said port, a pivoted spindle j ournaledin the body part and having a swinging arm on its inner end carrying a valve piece working on the valve seat for controlling the port, and separate means for operating the valve spindles extending to a distance and terminating in assembled arrangement whereby the engineer -may from said distant place operate either valve desired without looking at or reaching for the valves.

9. In a device of the character described, a steam boiler, combined with a distributer head having communication with the steam space of the boiler and provided with a plurality of openings through its walls, a plurality of independent valve devices each de- .tachably fitting one of said openings in the head and comprising a body part having a valve seat upon its inner surface and a port opening through said seat, a rocking spindle journaled'in the body portionto one side of the port, an arm; secured to the inner end of the spindle and provided with a valve piece working upon the valve seatto control the port, means on the body portion for holding the spindle against longitudinal inward movement, and separate means extending to a distance for operating each-of the spindles of the respective valve devices whereby the engineer may operate any valve desired from a distance and said valve devices may be separately removed with all of the associated operative parts.

10. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a steam boiler, with a steam distributing head having communication with the steam space in the boiler and provided with a plurality of openings through its walls, a separatevalve device detachably secured in each of the openings, and each of said valve devices comprising a body part fitting thezopenings and provided upon its inner surface with valve seat 1 and a port extending through the body part therefrom,

a spindle extending'through the body part and journaled therein to form a steam tight joint, an arm secured upon the inner end of the spindle, a valve piece loosely carried by the free end of the arm, spring devices for pressing the valve piece upon its seat, and a separate operating means extending from each of the spindles of the respective valve devices to a distance whereby the engineer may operate either valve desired from the distant place.

11. In an; apparatus of the character stated, a steam boiler, combined with a steam distributing head mounted thereon and having a plurality; of openings through its walls, a steam controlled conduit for supplying steam' to the head from 'the steam space of the boiler, and a separate valve device for each of theopenings in the head, each ofsaid valve devicescomprising a body part detachably connected in one of the openings of the head and having a steam port therethrough and provided with port controlling means, and means Wholly supported In testimony of which invention, I hereand carried by the body part and extendunto set my hand.

ing to the outside thereof for operating the port controlling means whereby each port SAMUEL RIEGEL controlling means is in association with its "Witnesses:

seat and independent and removable rela- GoRDoN BAXTER,

tive to the other valve devices. ALVIN M. POWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

